The present invention relates to a truck topper and more specifically to a truck topper having a retractable roof.
Truck toppers are devices which are adapted for placement on the bed of a standard pickup truck to thereby enclose the pickup truck bed. A standard truck topper has a front end, a rear end, a roof, and side walls. Usually a door is placed in the rear end of the truck topper to allow access to the contents of the pickup bed.
A problem in the art exists in that when items that are taller than the truck topper are placed into the bed of a pickup truck, the truck topper must be removed which is time consuming and physically difficult for one person. To solve this problem, devices having complicated canopy systems with retractable canopies allow the canopy to be retracted for the loading of an item in the truck that is taller than the canopy.
For example, one device has an arcuate bow that supports a canopy that can be moved from an open position to a closed position of the container of a truck. A disadvantage is that the cover moves as a single unit eliminating the structural support of the sidewalls of the topper for securing a load during transport.
In addition, further problems exist with toppers having a retractable roof portion. As one example, without added support, the topper will expand and narrow in response to wind forces during transport. When the topper is not maintained in a square/plum position, it becomes difficult to open and close the retractable roof portion. Also, by using a retractable roof portion, sealing the interior compartment from rain and moisture presents challenges. Current canopies do not effectively solve this problem.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a topper for a truck having a roof portion that is independently retractable from the side portions.
Therefore, it is a principle object of the present invention to provide a truck topper that has a retractable roof to allow for easy storage and transport of items taller than the sides of the truck topper.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a truck topper having a roof portion that is retracted by a retraction assembly that is manual or automatic.
Another object of the invention is to provide a truck topper that will accommodate tall loads and provide structural support during transport.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a truck topper that has a retractable roof that is resilient to the elements.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide support for a topper to stabilize the topper against wind forces.
One other object of the present invention is to provide sealing and drainage elements to protect the inside compartment from moisture and rain.
These and other objects, features, or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification and claims.